Hi Think it is time I got back to working on trying to make sense out of the politicking that goes on today both in State and Federal Government. Wish me luck. G

Sour grapes and Saddle Sores

George Hirst

Living Peacefully October 4-2007

I find myself upset these days when I see and hear people behaving as if they were the only oneswho knew what we are all about. People who say, If you would just do what I like, what I say, and what I do, we all could live quietly. No, if we respected each other we would be at peace. In short, we need to live peacefully and not be peace makers.

Before I get back into politics and consider some ways for the voter to be able to help our governments to govern our sovereignity instead of attempting to rule the world, I want to consider a peacefull life. The difference between trying to be peace makers and living peacefully is that peacefull living requires a lot of work, requires a lot of time and needs to be other centered. Peace makers tend to use force and law to acquire a unity that is impossible. There is no way the nation in which we live, or the world we share with others, can be at peace when force and law only requires more force and law.

Residents of a neighborhood embody peaceful living in its closest form. Age , employment, education, and religious differences, political and social memberships are a few of our many differences.. Yet, good neighbors are acquainted, know one another, help one another, and just generally get along. Changes occur and improvements are made through negotiation and public voting.

Good neighboring requires tolerance and acceptance of differences. The best way to find a peacefull life with our neighborhood, be it local or world wide, is to celebrate our connections and understand our differences. The elements of common life that provide spice and keep us connected are the problem relationships, because we have to work together to find common ground. It is not a matter of wrong or right, it is understanding why we behave as we do.

I tried to avoid writing what I am now writing. If we could just learn that there are wrong doings in every part of the world, learn that no one or no community is perfect, there would not be meddlers who practice the art of improving others. More than that, law makers would not pass laws that create more problems that they are supposed to be solve. Laws are written to punish rather than guide. As I understand, the ten commandments in their original form were to help people live together, not to protect against wrong doing. The "you shall not's" were "you shall."

I close with what I have written several times. There has never been a war to end all wars or a law or rule has never been written that has not been broken. If we seriously believe that a peacefull world is possible then we ought be able to live a life ourselves that remembers we are not alone, we share this space with all sorts of creatures who live in many ways..